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Prioress visits Iraq to 'extend love and care'
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published May 29, 2009
Detroit - A local religious sister is on a kind of peace relations mission, visiting sisters in Iraq to learn about their lives and express solidarity and support.
Sr. Donna Markham, OP, prioress of the Adrian Dominican congregation, is returning a visit four and a half years ago of Sr. Maria Hanna, OP, prioress of the Dominican Sisters' Congregation of St. Catherine of Siena, of Mosul, Iraq, when she spoke publicly in Adrian, among other stops, about her life there and the need for forgiveness among the people there. "Her mission really as one of peace and reconciliation," Sr. Markham said.
During Sr. Hanna's visit, Sr. Markham asked how the Adrian congregation could help the Iraqi sisters, and Sr. Hanna suggested Adrian take in some of the younger Iraqi sisters into the congregation for ministry and study; six sisters have been in the community now for more than four years.
Now, Sr. Markham is visiting their community, visiting as many as possible of the 90 or so Dominican sisters living in Christian villages throughout the area, as the safety of Mosul is questionable. "My reason for accepting her invitation was I think it's important to show that despite the war, as Dominican sisters and as Christians, we are part of the same family," she said. "It's important to extend love and care for one another."
"We're both Dominicans, and because we're both Dominicans, as Sr. Maria said, we're both sisters," she said.
Sr. Markham has been studying Arabic for the past year and a half, and was most looking forward to meeting the sisters and expressing their solidarity "and hopes for peace in their country and the world."
"Life has been very difficult for them," she said. And although much of the Christian population has had to leave, most are hopeful they'll be able to come back when peace is restored. "It would be terrible for Christianity to lose its presence in that country," she said.
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